2000 - june - august

Those Palmy Days of Peace - A Walk in the City Park

"Hooray in the Park" is a well-known old slogan in Hungary, and it is an invitation to the merry amusements of spring and summer. It actually refers to the City Park in Budapest, and its special romantic image with fun-fairs and other amusements going back to the beginnings of the 20th century. We are in a wonderful garden, the largest public park in Hungary, which was originally developed for this purpose. The visitor will find a number of historic monuments and other beautiful buildings here.

    It is difficult to decide which way to start a walk from the main entrance at Heroes' Square. Should we go to the right, towards the Mûcsarnok (Arts Hall)? Or to the left, towards the building of the Fine Art Museum, which has been mellowed by age. Whichever way we set off to explore the City Park, we will pass a number of historic sights. The major ones are along the main avenue running along the edges, while playgrounds, walking paths and sports grounds are located in the middle of the green areas.
    Let's start this imaginary walk at the eclectic building of the Fine Arts Museum. A number of valuable foreign paintings may be seen in the Old Picture Gallery, including works by Raffaello, Tiziano, Tintoretto, Giorgione, Dürer and Rembrandt. The Spanish Gallery has one of the most famous Spanish collections in the world, including seven paintings by El Greco, five paintings by Goya, and works by Velazquez and Ribera. The museum's collection of Greek and Roman sculptures is also famous. In addition, its recently renovated Baroque hall is in itself worth a visit.
    From here it takes only a few minutes on foot to reach the Art-Nouveau style main entrance of the Budapest Zoo and Botanic Gardens where two stone elephants and a group of monkeys greet the visitor. In addition to the approximately 500 animals and 1,500 plants on display here, it is worth visiting the buildings designed in a characteristic Hungarian style.
    Proceeding on the main avenue towards the Circus building, the next sight is the Fun Fair. One of the famous rides here is an old roller coaster built on a wooden structure, which is a historic monument. The only similar roller coasters in Europe are in Finland and Denmark, but those are shorter then the one in Budapest. Another star attraction is the merry-go-round, which is also a historic monument, and whose renovation last year won a European Nostra award, a prize granted to the most successful renovation projects. In addition, it was recently selected as one of the 90 most beautiful construction projects rewarded during the 22-year-old history of the European Nostra award.
    The building of the Széchenyi Thermal Baths and Spa is another historic monument opposite the Fun Fair. It is the largest thermal bath in Europe, and its water wells up from a depth of 1250 metres, at a temperature of 76 degrees Centigrade, It is mainly recommended to treat rheumatic ailments, arthritis and neuritis.
    Let's turn back from here and cross the avenue, passing along the Museum of Transportation, and arriving at Vajdahunyad castle. The building and its history are equally fascinating: it was originally made of wood and cardboard at the turn of the 19th century, commemorating the 1000th anniversary of the Magyars settling in Hungary, but it was such a success, that they rebuilt it with more lasting materials. The water of the lake which is currently in front of the castle used to surround the building, and this original design is planned to be reconstructed in the near future. If that is completed, then once again it will be possible to go around this atmospheric building housing the Museum of Agriculture, either by boat in the summer, or by skate in the winter. In addition to the many fascinating buildings, the City Park has of course other colourful sights, especially between spring and autumn, when special events are held here almost every weekend. Folk craftsmen, musicians and showmen entertain passers-by who can feel like they are on a journey back in time to the renaissance ages, or to those palmy days of peace at the turn of the century.